The present invention relates to AV (Audio-Visual) apparatus including television receivers, optical disk devices and hard disk recorders (hereinafter will be referred to as HDRs) and, more particularly, an AV apparatus with a voice recognition function which is capable of recognizing voices of a user and controlling the apparatus body based on the voices.
The voice recognition technology for recognizing voices inputted includes the technique of extracting a word-like portion of a voice being uttered, which is so-called word spotting, the technique of recognizing successive voices by using HMM (Hidden Marcov Model), and like techniques.
Conventionally widespread AV apparatus are generally provided with an infrared wireless remote controller for remote control of such an AV apparatus. Existing AV apparatus of another type adopt the aforementioned voice recognition technology for remote control by voices. Representatives of such AV apparatus with the voice recognition function include the following television receiver, optical disk device and HDR.
For example, when the user utters a voice representing a command to power ON/OFF, change channels or adjust the sound volume or a like command, the television receiver receives the voice by means of a microphone or the like and recognizes the voice. Then, the television receiver executes the command to power ON/OFF, change channels or adjust the sound volume or the like command according to the voice recognized.
In the case of the optical disk device or the HDR, when the user utters a voice representing a command to perform a trick play such as replay, fast forward or reverse or a like command, the optical disk device or the HDR receives the voice by means of a microphone or the like and recognizes the voice. Then, the optical disk device or the HDR executes the command to perform replay, fast forward or reverse or a like command according to the voice recognized.
On the other side, an audio apparatus controller with a voice recognition function has been proposed as described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. HEI 6-202690. This audio apparatus controller includes a control section configured to determine whether or not a command represented by a voice recognized is suited to a current operation status of the audio apparatus. The audio apparatus is a CD player for example. The control section executes a command only when it is determined that the command representing a voice recognized is suited to the current operation status of the audio apparatus.
The aforementioned voice recognition technology, however, generally has a high possibility of failure in recognizing voices.
For this reason, with the aforementioned conventional AV apparatus with the voice recognition function, it is possible that the apparatus mistakes the command uttered by the user for another by erroneous recognition and executes the wrong command. In the case of a television receiver for example, it is possible that the current channel is changed to channel 8 in spite of a command given by the user to increase the sound volume. In the case of an optical disk device or a HDR, it is possible that reverse is performed in spite of a command given by the user to perform replay.
When the wrong command is executed, the user has to recall a last setting in order to correct the wrong command and utter a command to restore the last setting. Here, settings of the television receiver are meant to include a channel setting, sound volume setting, and the like. Settings of the optical disk device or HDR are meant to include settings for-trick plays, a location on the medium at which a trick play setting is active currently, and the like.
In this case, the user has to seek the last setting because the user seldom bears the last setting in mind. In the case of the television receiver for example, the user has to seek a last channel setting by changing channels sequentially. In the case of the optical disk device or HDR, the user has to seek a last setting to find out the last location on the medium by fast-forwarding with the last image or the like as a clue.
In addition, even when the user utters a command to restore the last setting, it is possible that the apparatus again fails to recognize the voice representing that command.
As described above, any one of the conventional AV apparatus with the voice recognition function has made the user feel troublesome in restoring a last setting.
In the case of the audio apparatus controller with the voice recognition function described in the aforenoted Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. HEI 6-202690, even if a command represented by a voice recognized is suited to a current operation status of the audio apparatus, the voice recognized does not necessarily meet the command intended by the user. Therefore, it is possible that a command not intended by the user is executed. For this reason, like the above-described conventional AV apparatus with the voice recognition function, the audio apparatus controller with the voice recognition function has made the user feel troublesome.
A feature of the present invention is to provide an AV apparatus with a voice recognition function which is capable of restoring a last setting easily.